This subject isn't specifically about NOOK, but I want to know have you swiched back and forth between companies, such as Microsoft to Apple, Xbox to AS, Zest to Irish Spring, etc. Why did you switch? Was it the pricing or the features. I was an avid Playstation user for years until Xbox 360 came out. I though I was loyal to Playstation and the Xbox just killed it. I also know people who swore by the iPhone and now have come to the Android side. What makes you switch over and why?

Please excuse the typos! Also did friends and family influence your decision making? I don't think I am easily swayed by my friends, however if I hear my friends talking about something trending, it will get my attention. Also how many of you do research before you buy your products?

By-and-large, brand loyalty is pointless in the modern world. There's no consistency any longer, so you can't say that "Brand X products used to be good, so they're probably good now." Companies change directions at the whim of their leadership, or during one of the ubiquitous mergers or acquisitions, and it's very rare for a company that's established a reputation of producing quality goods (or providing quality services) not to decide to trade on that reputation by providing lower quality in order to make more profits.

Companies aren't loyal to me, so I don't owe them any loyalty in return. I'd made all my financial dealings with Wells Fargo for almost 15 years, but when medical expenses made me need some help with my mortgage that I'd gotten from them and had already made 8 years of on-time payments, they told me to simply pay it or get out. And not even apologetically. Just, "You signed the mortgage, you pay it." Oh, and the best part: "You've got plenty of money to pay the mortgage if you don't pay your income taxes." So I'm banking elsewhere now.

New cars I've bought over the years, in order: Honda, Toyota, Mercury, Dodge, Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai. No duplicates. Not that I disliked any of the cars — except the Honda, where I was unable to get proper service and traded it in after only 9 months — but different cars better suited my needs at different times.

I'm with Doug, it's more that I won't deal with some companies, than I will exclusively deal with a particular company.

This is about right. I think many people are willing to step out and try new brands and products - and instead of brand loyalty, we now have brand avoidance.

It''s not so much that I will be loyal to one product or company - it's that if a company screws up with me they are off my shopping list. Not small mistakes, of course, but big and/or repeated mistakes.

Example: My first laptop computer had a major failure after 3 months. Ok, bad things happen. However, I was in the military and overseas at the time and the customer service refused to work with me to fix it. Mind you, I bought this computer from their website and they delivered it to me at my overseas address, so we know they can accomodate overseas and APO/FPO shipping. But, after a month of fighting with them on the phone and through email, I had to mail my laptop to my brother's family in Detroit, have him added to my service account as an authorized representitive, have them send him an empty box so he could turn it in for service. Then they sent it to him and he mailed it to me. The same part failed again 3 months later. So, 6 months after purchase, it worked a grand total of 17 weeks. That brand will never get a dollar from me again.

There are now about 4-5 companies I refuse to purchase from based on previous encounters. One company I was fairly loyal to for about 8 years until their new management ruined their customer service policies and the brand quality went drastically down (from an 88-90 avg in Consumer reports to >70 avg).

Depending on the company and the product. I always buy the same brand cookies and crackers, because they send me a nice pension check every month. I have always had Ford cars(tho my dad was a

Chevi man), till I worked for Chrysler then I bought a PT Cruiser(would not have bought a new Ford and then parked in my bosses parking lot)I am very loyal to my internet guy. Have been with him for 15 years or more and would stay no matter what the charge. He started out as a kid in his folks garage, now has a big business, but I can still call and talk to him(the owner) get all the advice I need on the internet, what printer to buy, what computer to buy, help with my NOOK, just anything.Last week I had a porblem with my wireless, he has been trying to call me back and couldn't get a hold of me. Finally cought me home yesturday(bad me-I forgot to call him back and tell him it was fixed) he was going to send me a letter or drop by the house to make sure I was ok and every thing was working0 Have never met him in person, but this what I call customer service.

This subject isn't specifically about NOOK, but I want to know have you swiched back and forth between companies, such as Microsoft to Apple, Xbox to AS, Zest to Irish Spring, etc. Why did you switch? Was it the pricing or the features. I was an avid Playstation user for years until Xbox 360 came out. I though I was loyal to Playstation and the Xbox just killed it. I also know people who swore by the iPhone and now have come to the Android side. What makes you switch over and why?

Hmm. It sounds like you are doing a little scientific marketing research. Are you, perchance, a student completing an assignment for class?

Yes.Scientific research indeed. I am an entrepreneur and also a student of human nature. It is interesting to see where the world is heading. These are very insightful remarks. Thank you everyone for the thought provoking answers.

I think 20 - 30 years ago, we can argue that there was such a thing as product loyalty. But I believe price should not be the deciding factor alone when making purchases. Innovative ideas and the uniqueness of a product gets my vote. I may be in the minority here, but I get excited when I hear of a new phone or PC with new features.

I also try to do a lot of research. For example with food, you wouldn't just buy the cheapest brand in a supermarket because it may be unhealthy or may contain carcinogens. Pricing is a factor, however a cheap products may cost you more in the long run.

Yes.Scientific research indeed. I am an entrepreneur and also a student of human nature. It is interesting to see where the world is heading. These are very insightful remarks. Thank you everyone for the thought provoking answers.

I think 20 - 30 years ago, we can argue that there was such a thing as product loyalty. But I believe price should not be the deciding factor alone when making purchases. Innovative ideas and the uniqueness of a product gets my vote. I may be in the minority here, but I get excited when I hear of a new phone or PC with new features.

I also try to do a lot of research. For example with food, you wouldn't just buy the cheapest brand in a supermarket because it may be unhealthy or may contain carcinogens. Pricing is a factor, however a cheap products may cost you more in the long run.

I don't have product loyalty, so much as shop loyalty. For example, I buy almost all my groceries from one shop, even though some items may be a bit cheaper at the one across town, or much more convenient at the one across the street from my house. Why? One reason is because I know my favorite grocery store treats their employees very well and they are all very nice and talk to me (and my kids) with respect. We do have medical reasons for buying specific types of food from specific brands so I guess you could say we have some brand loyalty there, since we know which companies thoroughly test their products for cross contamination and won't poison my littlest child.

I am loyal in my book buying to two bookshops. I don't buy my books other places (well, unless we're out of town), no matter how much cheaper the book I want to read is at BJs. I buy my books (paper books) at B&N and my local indy. Right now, exclusively at B&N since my indy shop is in the process of relocating and isn't currently open. I may get a different brand of reader, but will probably continue to purchase my dtbs from B&N and my indy shop. Again, for their employees and service. I prefer to shop in local shops when I can for this reason. My local B&N has more of an indy bookstore feel and the employees are awesome and most of them have been there for years, some since it opened. For ebooks, I like to buy from Kobo, but I do still buy a lot from B&N. Not particularly out of loyalty or price, but because it's easy and I've not had any problems. I bought from Sony once and I had nothing but problems with their shop, so won't buy from them again, even if the book is cheaper.

I am not really loyal to brand, and aside form shopping at specific shops, I tend to buy whichever is cheapest but still meets my needs.

I asked my mom the question of brand loyalty once, and she said generally they just bought what was available, not necessarily because they liked that brand better. That's what I remember from when I was a kid, too. We tended to only have one or maybe two brands of a product to choose from.

Yes.Scientific research indeed. I am an entrepreneur and also a student of human nature. It is interesting to see where the world is heading. These are very insightful remarks. Thank you everyone for the thought provoking answers.

I think 20 - 30 years ago, we can argue that there was such a thing as product loyalty. But I believe price should not be the deciding factor alone when making purchases. Innovative ideas and the uniqueness of a product gets my vote. I may be in the minority here, but I get excited when I hear of a new phone or PC with new features.

I also try to do a lot of research. For example with food, you wouldn't just buy the cheapest brand in a supermarket because it may be unhealthy or may contain carcinogens. Pricing is a factor, however a cheap products may cost you more in the long run.

20-30 years ago we did not have access to as much information about products and the companies that make them as we do today. Even then, however, loyalty went out the window whenever intelligent consumers had bad experiences with products or product services. I abandoned Ford as a source of vehicles, and Sony as a source of electronic products, because of bad experiences, and I have never gone back to them, even after 20-30 years.

As has been discussed on other threads in this forum, loyalty has to be earned, and then it has to be retained. Whenever a supplier or producer becomes cavalier about quality or service, brand loyalty evaporates. It is incomprehensible that an informed consumer would remain "loyal" to a brand that had deteriorated in quality. (That only happens in politics. )

Insofar as uniqueness and new features are concerned, one is reminded of the Ford Edsel, the Commodore Amiga, the Beech Starship, or even the DeLorean automobile. All had advanced new features -- all failed as products.

I simply go with what suits me. For instance, I used a relative's iphone before having a smartphone of my own, then sampled an Android in the store and decided I liked Android better. (iphone was quite nice, though). I have a Nook E-Reader 1st gen. Then upgraded to the Simple Touch, but as for tablets, I got a Kindle HD. I tried a Nikon digital SLR but felt more comfortable with a Canon, although both were excellent. As for MAC vs. Windows, I generally find Apple products to be wildly overpriced and over hyped, and I ended up with a Zune over an iPod because I genuinely found the Zune to be superior. (I still have and use mine five years later and everyone else had broken many of their iPods.) Many of my peers love skull candy earbuds, but I noticed they break quickly and when I use Sony they last quite a long time. I would say I tend to trust Windows, but the products don't always suit me (Windows phones I am not crazy about) And Dell I trust as well because of the customer service, and I like their prices.

Many people I know do not like AT&T but I have never had so much as one dropped call, wheras my friends who have Sprint or Tmobile sometimes never receive some texts or get them hours later. So in that case I would rather pay a little more (but not so much more that I would switch to Verizon phones)

So there is me! I try things out and don't pay too much attention to the brand name. Price is a bit of a factor as well though.